Warm Water
by AstralMiscreant
Summary: Having studied in Tokyo University without joining the swim team had left him completely stagnant. Wanting to prove his past-self wrong, Sosuke is determined to enter and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials and ultimately participate in the legendary games. But with his shoulder injury hindering his progress, he'll need someone to help him out on the way. (Sosuke x OC)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Looking You Over**

* * *

A large glass building of nearly one-hundred stories stood like a monument in the Shibuya streets.

It overlooked the the world's busiest crossing like an imposing reliquary adding nothing but another corporate fixture as a compliment to the hustle and bustle of the streets. The immense business building suited the ambiance well, as if it might as well have been there since the very beginning. Over the buildings main entrance, the words KAIOH & CO. GROUP were emblazoned like a chrome tropaion commemorating the victory of its professional success.

The top floor was an enormous room, with sleek open windows that faced out on all four corners. Its executive room faced towards the east, where the sun rose high in the mid-afternoon sky on the equinoxes, and low in the horizon during the colder parts of the year. Nonetheless, the room itself received an abundance of light when it needed it, and was easily adjustable to shade its occupant with the controlled patented solar-tint system that could be manually turned on or off with the touch of a button.

A dull light glared through the window at this time of the year, bathing the room in a diaphanous glow while its single occupant sat in the middle with his large desk, hastily scrolling through his touch-screen computer in a manner of practiced deliberation. His fingers worked quickly, as if seeking some sort of satisfaction in tapping on the plastic surface of grids and electrical conductors. A dull expression hung on his face, with eyes that were calculative, and cold enough to freeze the computer over with one simple glare.

A slight ring reverberated through the silence of the room and the secretary's dry voice poured out of the comm-link.

"Kaioh-Sama, your daughter is in the waiting room. I believe she's here on a personal visit," said the secretary.

He looked away from his computer, pulling his glasses down to his nose reflexively, and clicked the receiving button. "That's fine. Send her in," he muttered without hesitation.

Within minutes, the expansive doors to the executive office opened and a delicate woman ambled in from the threshold. At the sight of her, Hiroyuki Kaioh's once dull countenance had lit up in a smile, as if a light had been switched on in a muted room. He folded his hands on his lap and fixed his attention on her.

The computer was switched on to sleep mode.

"Ah, my dear, what brings you here? And on a weekday too. Don't you have school today?"

She sat herself down on one of the chairs facing across him, tucking her purse and book bag under her arm as she did this. "My professor cancelled my class today, besides it's the last class for my senior project and it's mostly based on an independent research study. So, I thought it would be nice to drop in and say hello," she replied gently, before furrowing her brows. "I didn't intrude did I? Were you busy?"

"Oh, no, no. Just consolidating a few positions in one of the company's holding group, I believe I've just promoted a regional manager for one of our financial subsidiaries. Looks like _Telecom Bank_ will be having a new director on their team, though he has been an employee in the company for a few decades now."

"Oh, Telecom? I've read that their stock has increased by at least 31% this year from an increase in index, if I'm correct?"

"Yes, you are correct indeed. And it apparently, was all thanks to the regional manager of Ishikawa and Tokyo, who increased net income to some of the lower subdivisions of Telecom bank in Iwatobi, Kanazawa, and the newer establishments in Tokyo like Naka-Meguro and Komae."

Her eyes lit up with a twinkle synonymous to her father's at the mention of stock increases. "That's amazing, all by one single regional manager? Where is he based in?"

"Some small town called Iwatobi. Yamazaki-san had been managing the establishments of that area including Kanazawa for years now. However, the regional manager in Tokyo retired, so we had him temporarily fill in for that position for the past year. His progression seemed so vast from the indications of his direct responsibility with the net increase, so the administrators on the board scouted him for the new director position. I'm in the process of filling out the rest of the paperwork to solidify his promotion."

"Good for him," she mused.

Her father smiled, happy to share the progress of Kaioh Holdings' subsidiaries. Somehow, business always seemed to delight the man no matter how much it consumed his every day life.

"Yes," he continued. "And as a matter-of-fact, he's scheduled for a meeting with me within the next half-hour to discuss his new position."

"Ah, so that means I should go," she said knowingly.

"No, no. You can stay a little longer. I haven't seen you in weeks. I do miss you, you know."

"Oh, papa, I'm sorry...you know how busy school has been! And I don't have time to go home on the weekends anymore since my schedule is filled to the brim, What with practice and studying."

"Understandable. I just wish you'd take some time out of your day to call and tell me how you're doing. I only have one child you know, had you had any siblings, I wouldn't be hounding you all the time."

"You're right, sorry papa."

"Anyway, how's school? I hope you aren't slacking off just because this is your senior year..."

"Actually, school is going great," she gave him a pointed look. "I've set to finish my senior project within the next three months and after that...well, I suppose I'll be graduating."

Her face took on a dejected expression almost immediately at the prospect of her impending graduation. Hiroyuki noticed within seconds.

"And then you can start on your proper training under the company. My expectations have never changed, I expect that one day you will be taking my seat here as President of the company after my retirement."

"That again? You can't expect me to start immediately," she said in exasperation. "Father, I told you, my passion is in—"

"There's more important things to do—like running a company. Kami knows how much I've been looking for a successor who understands how to run this company right down to a t. Had you not possessed the talent, I would not have bothered with you. But, you do have it. You have the makings of a leader," He interjected. "Please, Ko, please evaluate your priorities. If not for the sake of your future, then for the sake of your father."

A frown had contorted her lips into a thin, crescent line, but she forced herself to straighten it upwards. With a tight smile, the young woman nodded her head. "Yes, father. I'll try..."

He clapped his hands together in satisfaction. "Good! Well, I suppose our time is up. Yamazaki-san should be walking through these doorways in no less than five minutes, therefore you—"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, that's my cue to go," she stood up and hastily made her way around the desk to kiss him on the cheek. "Bye, dad, I'll see you sometime this week...hopefully."

As she made her way towards the door, he called out to her, halting her in her steps. "Make sure you call me whenever you can!"

"Yes, dad."

"And don't forget about our conversation, I have plenty more to discuss in a more formal setting next time. Bye, Ko!"

And with one last wave, she shut the door behind her.

Just as she left, a knock resounded in the door once more and his comm-link rang.

He heard his secretary's voice again. "Yamazaki-san is here, shall I—"

"No worries, I'm sending him in right now," Hiroyuki said as he pressed the button. His eyes switched from the communicator to the door and he called out from his desk.

"Come in!"

* * *

Masahiro Yamazaki was a simple corporate man, an everyday worker so to speak.

He had worked in the same company, _Telecom Bank_ , for over twenty years—worked his way up from being a financial analyst, to floor manager, to district manger, and finally to regional manager from his hard work paved with blood and sweat; or so the proverbial saying went. He was an average man, in his mid-fifties, with nothing particularly special with his appearance other than his towering stature. He had a wife who stayed at home most days and one son who never really was home due to the fact that he was a full-time student athlete.

He worked everyday, sometimes doing overtime shifts when he had to cut his employee's payroll; sometimes coming home late in the night. One would say that Masahiro was a man with a rigorous work ethic. He was severe with his outlook on all things pertaining to his work, wanting his buildings to run as smoothly as possible. Thus, when corporate had notified him of a summoning from the board of administrators who directly worked for _Telecom's_ main proprietary holdings company, KAIOH & CO. GROUP, he was both excited and terrified.

Once he was offered the new position as director of _Telecom,_ he had expected to have a meeting with the CEO of _Telecom_. However, much to his awe, Masahiro was scheduled to meet with the President of _Telecom's_ proprietary company, the company that owned Telecom itself—KAIOH & CO. GROUP. To be able to meet the man on the highest tier of the corporation's hierarchy was not only an honor, but a complete shock.

And as he walked past the grand doors of Kaioh Holdings' Executive floor, he felt a sliver of anxiety creep up and over his shoulders. He was to meet face-to-face with one of Japan's most powerful men. The feat in it of itself was daunting to say the least.

On his way towards the President's executive office, Masahiro had been lugging his briefcase with him as he hastily made his way to the entrance. The secretary greeted him indifferently before instructing him where to go in order to find the executive office.

As he trekked down the hallway leading to the main office, he casually observed a young woman who was perhaps the same age as his son, hastily walk out of the office. Her head was lowered until he passed her and they made eye contact for a transient moment. She had unusually bright teal hair that waved like undulations, the color reminded him of his son's eyes; eyes that the boy himself had inherited from his own father. She gave him a polite smile and that was only when he realized that this young woman was quite beautiful.

"Good morning," she greeted as she walked past him and he nodded his head in return.

Straightening himself up now, he inhaled a deep breath before knocking firmly on the door. He waited silently, grasping on to his briefcase as if for dear life until he heard a muffled "Come in" from the other side of the door. Another deep breath and Masahiro pushed his way in through the grand doors.

He bowed immediately upon entering, only to look up at the man himself who had been standing behind his desk. He was obviously older than him with a face even more stern than his own and a gaze that seemed as if he were analyzing every single moment of their encounter. Masahiro gulped.

"Good morning," the president greeted politely. "It is nice to meet you, my name is Hiroyuki Kaioh and I'm Chief Executive Officer Of KAIOH & CO. GROUP Holdings as well as the president of the administrative committee. Pleased to meet you."

"Yes, my name is Masahiro Yamazaki. Please to make your acquaintance as well, Kaioh-sama," he replied with a thralling bow.

They exchanged their business cards and then the President gestured for him to sit. The man cleared his throat and proceeded to fold his hands under his chin as he leaned forward to look Masahiro in the eye. "Well, I suppose now that we've had our introductions, we can talk about some propositions I have. Would you care to lend me your ear, Yamazaki-san?"

He nodded fervently. "Yes, of course, Kaioh-sama."

* * *

 _I have some great news. Meet me for dinner at Ichiran ramen tonight at 8:00?_

Sōsuke frowned as he fixated a weary gaze at his cellphone. His father had just texted him for another dinner invitation and Sōsuke was finding it rather exhausting to have to respond to the man lately. Nearly a year ago, his father had abruptly bought a place in Tokyo as a "home away from home" since he was offered a position as a regional manager for his company _Telecom Bank_ for the newer locations. Back then, his father used to manage Iwatobi and the Ishikawa Prefect where Kanazawa was, but now he had branched out to different areas.

It was strange seeing his father as often as he did now because the man was so absent in his childhood that he could barely recall a day when he actually spent time with him.

When his father moved to Tokyo however, it seemed as if he wanted to visit at least three times a week, which was far more interaction Sōsuke had ever received with the man. Perhaps, he surmised, it was because he was getting older and realized that he had rarely been around. Or perhaps he was lonely since his mother was still living at their home in Iwatobi. Regardless, Sōsuke wasn't sure whether or not he liked the extra attention he was receiving from his family patriarch, it felt a little unsettling, almost unnatural.

He shoved his phone in his duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder.

"Oi, Yamazaki, you coming to the karaoke bar with us tonight?" One of his teammates shouted as the last of the stragglers trudged out of the locker room.

"Nah, you guys go ahead without me, I'm having dinner with my old man tonight."

There was a pause. "You sure, man?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then. See ya tomorrow!"

He grunted in response, shutting his locker door close. From the silence that permeated the rooms, he could tell that he was alone again. Throwing on his Tokyo University Swim Team jacket on, Sōsuke finally stalked out of the locker room with his headphones on full blast to avoid any unnecessary conversations on his trek through the campus.

The train station was its usual crowded conundrum, with it being rush hour at this point of the day. Working men and women along with students made up the majority of the passengers on his route towards Shibuya. He stood in the corner quietly backed up against the wall with other commuters anxious to get to their destination—this was all part of the mundane fixed routine for everyone.

As the spaces began to let up with each stop, Sōsuke was finally able to grab a seat in the corner. He had two more stops to go until he made it to Shibuya. Despite keeping his eyes trained on his phone like just about everyone else on the train, he noticed from the corner of his eye that a woman had been standing next to him without a seat. He glanced at her, noticing her choice of shoes before relenting. She was wearing heels and from what his mother often told him, he knew that her feet were probably hurting.

As per common courtesy, Sōsuke stood up and made brief eye contact with her.

Upon a second glance, he noticed how striking she actually was. She had bright teal hair that fell in curls and eyes that matched his own. Regaining his composure, he cleared his throat and gestured for her to take his seat. She offered a kindly smile to him and he scurried off to stand near the nearest exit.

Once he made it to his stop, Sōsuke found his way towards the familiar ramen restaurant his father had requested them to go. Upon reaching his destination, he immediately spotted his father standing outside of the entrance, briefcase in hand, and a convenience store bag in the other hand.

"Hey, dad," he greeted.

"Sōsuke," the older man patted him on the back. "Good to see you again, my boy."

"What's in the bag?"

"Celebratory spirits, but don't worry, we'll order some beers in the restaurant too. I've got some exciting news to tell you."

As they walked in and made their purchases on the vending machine, a waitress took their order cards and sat them on some stools. They placed their customized orders on the kae-dama and his father ordered them some beer.

"So what's this exciting news you've been talking about?" Sōsuke queried in between eating his food.

"Well, I had a meeting with the CEO of KAIOH & CO. GROUP, the proprietary company that owns _Telecom_ ," he started excitedly.

"Wait, not the head of _Telecom_ , but the head of the head?"

"Yes, so to speak."

"So you're telling me that you had a meeting with Hiroyuki Kaioh, right? That's the same CEO of Kaioh Holdings that you've been talking about since I was a kid, right?"

"Yes! The very same!" His father beamed.

Sōsuke's eyes widened in surprise, he wondered what his father had done to finally warrant a meeting with the man who he aspired to be like his entire career. This must have been a huge milestone for his father.

"And I got a promotion," his father continued. "You're looking at the new Director of Finances in _Telecom Bank_."

"That's amazing, congrats dad."

"Yes, I no longer will be managing the Telecom establishments on a regional basis, now I'll be managing the managers and administrators across the country for all of Telecom! Isn't that exciting?"

"I'm proud of you dad, you've worked so hard for this," he replied in earnest.

Both father and son toasted to the auspicious news, sharing plenty of laughs for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Wrote this on a whim to test something out. If you couldn't tell, I got my inspiration for my OC after Michiru Kaioh from Sailor Moon (she's also my face claim for the character).


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: And You Don't Know My Name Yet**

* * *

She felt the water move underneath her, propelling her forward as she moved along with its undulations.

Her abdomen clenched, arms tightened, as her legs thrust her above the water in a mid-air stroke. When she returned into the water, she continued to follow the rhythm like a familiar melody her body had now become most attuned to. She felt herself reaching the five-meter line and she prepared her body to build momentum to push off the wall. Sinews stretched, muscles jerked forward, as she pumped her arms and legs to glide in the water. As she pushed herself off, her body undulated with the water once more. The melody continued and she followed the rhythm as if she were playing the chords of a secret song only she was privy to.

She was nearing the finish now, the song had finally reached its end and was riding off the apex. Her body moved on its own and she shot up from the water. The glorious feeling of oxygen filling her lungs enveloped her as she took her first gasps of air. This was by far one of her most intensive stroke trials and her body had been pulsating under the extreme push.

She saw a hand reach down and grab her own as she was pulled up from the pool.

"Oh Kami, Tanaka-san, you beat the team's personal butterfly stroke record! That was impressive," her teammate cried in amazement.

She gasped a little, heaving from the rigorous 100 meter swim. "Time?" She questioned breathlessly.

" _0:51.47_ , that beats even the personal records in butterfly stroke for the men's team Tanaka-san. Midori was right, that was impressive, really impressive," Her coach replied.

"Now, you definitely can qualify for the trials, Tanaka-san. If we send your personal records through the university's profiles we can get you admission in the trials in three months."

She grinned widely upon hearing her coach and teammate's encouragements. "Did I really beat the men's personal record?"

"Yep, fastest time for Men's was _0:51.49_."

Her eyes widened. "Who held that record?"

"I think that might be someone by the name of Yamazaki, but, he's new to the team and I heard he'd been recovering from a shoulder injury he received in high school. They say it's not his personal best."

"Are you kidding me?"

Her teammate Rina shook her head.

"I have to beat my personal time then. Next practice, I'm aiming for _0:51.40_ at least," she said in determination, pulling off her swim cap and goggles.

"Tanaka-san, give it a rest. Coach said you're already qualified to be apart of the Olympic trials, no need to compete with petty stuff like this," Rina exclaimed.

"No, no. If that guy managed to break a record on an injury, than I should be able to surpass my personal time. I can't feel satisfied in the trials if I can't even beat some new swimmer," she muttered.

"If it makes you feel better, he's actually not so new. Apparently he'd been swimming for years, just not on the team."

"Yeah, and men naturally have bigger builds, larger wingspans. It gives them more of an advantage on the butterfly stroke for that particular reason," Her coach added. "Yamazaki-san is a big guy, at least 6'2 and he's built like a beast. He inherently has a larger advantage than you due to his physicality."

"And you're like what, 5'8, right? That's pretty tall for the average woman, but it still puts you at a disadvantage among some of the bigger guys when doing butterfly stroke."

She bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from spewing any profanities at the logic behind her team's thought-processes, and forced a thin smile. Just because she was a woman that did not mean she could not contend with the men. She was just as good as anyone else, regardless of gender.

So what if men were biologically built to be bigger? That did not mean that women were intrinsically weaker in terms of physical prowess.

"Well, regardless, I want to beat today's time next practice. I have to."

She stalked out of the pool area, grabbing her towel on the way out as her teammates watched on in disbelief.

Masako Tanaka was the star swimmer of the University of Tokyo Women's Swim Team—she was a senior in the midst of graduating to receive a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. However, her entire team knew that she had no true intention in pursuing a career in that particular field.

She was a bonafide prodigy, one of the most talented swimmers to grace the university grounds.

But her greatest downfall was her competitive streak. Yes, being competitive as an athlete was in all cases advantageous in every way. However, being competitive was a double-edged sword, it helped pave ways for refining skill sets, but it also clouded an individual's judgement among other things. Unfortunately, her teammates knew that Tanaka fell into that category with her competitive streak. So strong was it, that she would, in most cases, place unrealistic expectations upon herself and on her rivals.

Although, in any case, her competitive complex and her talent made for a powerhouse swimmer with the talent to qualify herself in the 2018 Olympic trials for the Tokyo games.

"Hn, that Tanaka-san can be quite stubborn..." Her coach sighed as they watched the woman storm out.

Her teammates had all but smiled despite themselves. She may not have been one of the most charming girls, but she was spirited in a way that it inspired something within them too.

* * *

Masako had been roaming the school's gymnasium for the last few hours after showering from practice.

Clad in a pair of leggings and an oversized cashmere sweater, she had her headphones plugged into her ears, blaring in full-blast, with her duffle bag swinging lazily around her shoulder. She had been chewing on an apple, idly wasting time before heading back to her apartment across the campus. She often did this when she had nothing else to do for the rest of the day, linger in the gymnasium for a couple hours after practice.

Somehow, her legs reflexively found their way near the gymnasium pools. On her way down the corridor leading to its entrance she looked at the previous plaques and names that managed to leave their mark on the University Swim Team's Hall of Fame. She saw her mother's face on the _Class of '71 Dream Team_ , Michiru Tanaka—the Star Swimmer during that year.

There she stood, her mother, immortalized in a golden frame with her long hair cascading down her shoulders like seafoam silk.

Her father often said that she was the spitting-image of her mother. She wasn't so sure, since she hadn't seen the woman in years. Frame after frame, homemade family video after video, all the fragments of her memory that lingered in the house. The pictures only indicated that she was every bit of her mother, _but she was nothing like her mother._

"I'm not like you, you know..." she muttered under her breath as she brushed her thumb across the glass frame, running it over the image of her mother smiling that devastatingly beautiful smile.

She clicked the roof of her tongue in exasperation and turned away, continuing on her way towards the pools instead. At this time, the pools should be deserted, giving her enough time to perhaps dip her feet in the water one last time before she headed back to her apartment.

She pushed the doors open and was met with the sight of the darkened surroundings illuminated by the vivid glow of the pools blue chlorine-treated waters as it glimmered against the lights. She inhaled deeply, basking in the pungently familiar scent of chlorine. As she edged towards the pool, she slipped off her espadrilles and bunched her leggings up to her knees.

Dipping her feet in the cool waters, she closed her eyes and sighed dreamily.

Masako heard a grunt echo throughout the building and her eyes flew open immediately. Startled, she frantically spun around from side to side until she spotted the owner of whom the noise had come from.

He sat with his bare back facing her, sporting nothing but his swimsuit trunks as he seemed to be rubbing his shoulder vigorously. He was so close, they were practically sitting together within a distance of three feet or less.

She furrowed her brows in bewilderment. How did she not see or hear the man when she first entered?

"I'm surprised that you didn't see me," she heard him mumble as if reading her mind. His voice was coarse like sand, a deep timber that had reverberated throughout the empty buildings despite his seemingly hushed tone.

"I-I'm...I didn't...How did you...What?" She had stammered out, mind still frazzled from having not seen the man in plain sight.

He gave her a sideways glance while his hand had been roughly kneading his shoulder as if in pain. "You just came and walked in and sat right next to me, you that oblivious or do you just not observe your surroundings?"

"...Hm, I'd like to plead none of the above, really. Guess I was just too tired to really care about the surroundings at this point..." she admitted. "What're you doing in the pool this late at night anyway?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the man countered sharply.

She gave him an inquisitive look, not quite sure where the verbal aggression came from, but continued anyway. "Well, I like the water. It calms me. Plus, I was thinking about practicing on my stroke time since there were no more people...or so I thought."

He turned around and stared at her allowing her a good view of his profile.

Masako noticed him pause momentarily when their eyes met directly and she gave him a questioning look. In turn, the man quickly looked away as if embarrassed and continued on his ministrations with his shoulder. From her earlier observations, she noticed that he was a rather muscular man, lean arms and torso, the build synonymous to a swimmer's body. Objectively, he would be considered handsome, but she was not interested in that appeal.

"You on the swim team?"

"As a matter of fact I am. You?"

"Yep," He said simply.

She narrowed her eyes as he continued to rub his shoulders in a painstakingly rough manner. What was he doing? He might as well be injuring himself with the way he roughly handled his shoulder.

"What are you doing? You'll tear your tendon if you keep at it like that," she admonished before leaning towards him and pulling his hand away from his shoulder.

"Well, it hurts."

He sounded almost like a petulant child.

"You're not helping your case if you keep doing that though."

"How would you know?"

"I've had my fair share of injuries when I was younger...besides that, my mother was a doctor, she specialized in physical therapy. She taught me a lot on basic maintenance when it came to my swimming injuries and from what I can tell, that little ache in your shoulder was probably the result of just that."

"Yeah..."

She scooted closer to him, carefully reaching towards him, afraid of hasty direct contact as if he were some venomous animal ready to strike.

"May I?" She offered lightly and much to her surprise, he nodded.

The man allowed her to place a gentle hand on his shoulder to gauge the damage and she prodded at it slightly.

"Let me guess, your swim practice and training regime became a little too intensive at too abrupt of a time, huh?"

He nodded. "Something like that."

"How long have you had that injury?"

He was silent for a while as if he were wondering whether or not he wanted to divulge that information. For what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"...Maybe since my second year in high school..."

She frowned at his words, if it had lasted that long up until now, that must mean that it could have been a very severe injury.

 _And then it clicked in her mind, as if the proverbial cogs in her brain had begun to turn, putting two and two together._

"Hey, you don't happen to be the new addition to the men's swim team, do you?" She queried tersely.

"So what if I was?"

Her grip on his shoulder tightened and he winced under her rigid touch. So this was him. The man who was alleged to be the best in the butterfly stroke with a personal record breaking time despite a torn shoulder. She must admit, he did look much more different than she had imagined him. For some odd reason, when her coach mentioned him to be a "beast," she expected him to look terrifyingly intimidating, not...normal?

"Ow," he grunted as his hand flew up towards his shoulder to clutch at it desperately this time.

Realizing her sudden outburst, regret had immediately began to make its way to the forefront of her thoughts and she quickly let him go. She peered at him as he struggled to recollect his bearings, a tear pricked at the corner of his eye from the pain.

"Sorry, sorry I didn't mean to do that," she quickly apologized. "Are you okay?"

"W-What was that for?" He struggled to say while glaring at her vehemently.

"I just...I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Here let me help."

He scooted away and continued to glower at her. It seemed as if that was the most emotion she had elicited from him this entire conversation.

"I'm sorry. Please? Will you let me help you?"

"How will I know that you won't go crazy all of a sudden and do that again?"

"I won't, I promise! Please?"

He frowned, but somehow relented when he inched closer to her once more.

"Fine."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you."

With gentle fingers she carefully removed his clutched hand from his shoulder and placed one of her hands on top of it while the other rested gently on his elbow. She moved her fingers over his shoulder to feel for the collection of muscles and tendons that supported his acromion bone. Idly, she noticed his skin was rather warm despite the fact that he probably had just came out of the pool.

"Lean on your side," she instructed. "I'm gonna do some basic stretches to help alleviate the tension on your rotator cuff."

He followed her without objection and allowed her to gently press down on his shoulder as she pulled his arm ever so slightly in a light rhythm. His face relaxed almost immediately when she continued with the exercise. After three sets, she decided it was adequate to allow him some rest and she stopped in her ministrations.

"How's it feeling now?"

"A whole lot better. Thanks," he said as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head almost sheepishly. "Sorry, I...never got your name."

"Masako Tanaka, but, I just go by Tanaka. You?"

His eyes widened. "Wait, Tanaka? I've heard that name before...You're the one they always talk about in the women's team. They say you're probably the only swimmer here that can qualify for the trials."

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Damn, that's something...Good for you," he muttered almost bitterly.

With a frown, Masako decided to change the subject. She gave him a pointed look. "Hey, you never told me your name."

"Sōsuke," He said before offering his hand out for her to shake. "Sōsuke Yamazaki."

"You're the one who broke that butterfly stroke record, huh?" She couldn't help the accusatory tone that laced her words.

"...I guess so...But, it wasn't enough. I used to be able to do better, but...this stupid injury messed me up something bad," he said in admittance. "I won't be able to even qualify for the trials for this year. I'm rusty as hell, it's been forever since I really swam competitively at my peak."

"You just joined the swim team, right? What year are you?"

"What, you mean how long have I been here?"

"Yeah."

"It's my fourth year and I'm about to graduate. So, I guess I'm a senior."

"So have you been here all four years or did you transfer?"

"Been here."

"Okay, so why didn't you ever join the swim team until now?"

"Personal reasons," he replied vaguely. "Mostly the injury too."

"Oh..."

They fell into an awkward silence for a bit as they looked off distantly at the water.

"So...you mentioned the trials. Were you planning on trying for them this year?" She finally questioned, breaking the silence.

"With where I'm at...I don't even know if I can," he said dejectedly.

There was something in the way he looked just as he uttered those words. She could see it through the eyes, something akin to a broken spirit—withered and disintegrating as if it were ready to be blown away like dust in the wind. It somehow struck a chord within her.

"How are you so sure you won't make it? You beat a record in the first few months you've been on the team, right?" She tried.

"It's not enough."

He drew his knees to himself and wrapped his arms around them. A melancholic expression now clung to his visage and he gazed off into the pool.

"Your shoulder, how does it feel?" She prodded as her eyes glanced towards the crook of his neck leading down towards the injury.

"Good, I guess? I mean it doesn't ache anymore."

"Have you been seeing any PTs for your injury?"

"Yeah, but none of them really could rehabilitate my shoulder properly because—"

"Because they aren't familiar with swim injuries. Those are the trickiest ones to really deal with as their causes are so complex."

"Yeah, guess so."

"Look, maybe you just need proper training and rehabilitation. Then, maybe you'll be able to enter the trials."

"Easier said then done."

"Not if you have someone to help you..."

He looked at her, eyes widening in dubiety. "Wha—You don't even know me, why would you want to help?"

"You broke the team record for butterfly stroke in less time than most of the swimmer's on the team could manage in years. That means you're probably the best one there who could represent that stroke. Today, I just broke the record for your time making it under only two seconds. The butterfly is my specialty and that time was my personal best. But, that record that you initially broke, that wasn't your personal best, was it?"

He shook his head.

"If you can train yourself to reach your physical peak once more, you most definitely can qualify for the trials. Hell, you can probably qualify for the Olympics if you can naturally beat me with no sweat."

"Okay, so what're you saying?"

"I'm offering a quid pro quo. I help you, and you help me. You're the best in butterfly and I need someone who can help me train to refine my stroke. I'm the best we got here on the woman's team and I know plenty about rehabilitating swim injuries. You help me, and I help you. What do you say, Yamazaki-san?"

She held her hand out, offering her all for the price of reciprocity. He looked at her hesitantly for a moment.

He sighed. "Fine," before taking her hand in his own and gripping it firmly. "If you help me, I'll help you."

Masako smiled brightly as she shook his hand. She had a feeling this was the beginning of a budding new friendship.


End file.
